Red frame, yellow logos — a classic throwback from CannondaleTom Marvin
The F-Si is Cannondale’s racey XC hardtailTom Marvin
The view from the topTom Marvin
Yep, that’s a carbon chainstay protector plateTom Marvin
Skinny tubes save weight and give an element of comfortTom Marvin
The Lefty Ocho is an ‘upside down’ style fork, and has this rather lovely carbon protector for the stanchionTom Marvin
Cannondale’s designers had some fun with this bikeTom Marvin
You can lock the fork out — there’s an on-bar lever for thatTom Marvin
Cannondale has colour-matched the Lefty Ocho forkTom Marvin
Gripshift is not only light, it’s also suitably retro!Tom Marvin
The Level is SRAM’s lightweight brake optionTom Marvin
The caliper for the Level brake uses the roadie flat-mount standardTom Marvin
Swapping wheels on the Lefty requires a knack, but it’s not too hard. However, remember you can repair a puncture without removing the wheelTom Marvin
Lightweight carbon hoops from CannondaleTom Marvin
Nice little paw detail on the Canis tyreTom Marvin
Cannondale’s own carbon bar and a long-ish stem give a racey positionTom Marvin
If you don’t want to go retro, you can go subtleTom Marvin
Fashion is so often cyclical, you only have to walk through the ‘trendier’ areas of your local town or city to see non-ironic flashbacks to the eighties and nineties. So it’s no surprise that bike manufacturers are harking back to the good old days with some retro-inspired paint jobs.
The F-Si is Cannondale’s raciest of hardtails and this particular one comes equipped with a smattering of very, very lightweight parts.
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There’s Cannondale’s Lefty Ocho fork, its Hollowgram TR carbon wheels with tan sidewall Onza Canis tyres, a SRAM XX1 groupset with a gripshift shifter (for extra retro, and extra lightweight) and Level TLR brakes, plus a load of carbon Cannondale finishing kit thrown in for good measure.
Riding since the age of 13, Technical Editor Tom has ridden hundreds of bikes over the past few years, from aero race bikes to EWS-ready enduro rigs, with a fair few others in between. Most likely found in the woods practicing his scandi-flicks.
